Light within the Shadows; a Painter's Memoir

Location: Vancouver, BC

Glenfiddich Call to Canadian Artists Residence

By December 7, 2018

Glenfiddich® Single Malt Whisky is inviting artists living and working in Canada to enter the internationally renowned competition for the prestigious 2019 Glenfiddich® Artists in Residence Prize. The summer residency is valued at over $20,000, covering the cost of travel, accommodation, living expenses and materials during the three-month stay.

The Canadian winner will be one of eight artists worldwide to be awarded the coveted prize to live and work at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. While living in crofts (traditional small Scottish farm houses), artists are encouraged to take inspiration from the unique setting in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, just up the hill from a 12th century castle. The experience provides an opportunity unlike any other for artists to work in an international community, share in a dialogue with other artists and foster cross-disciplinary ideas.

“The idea of asking artists to come to the distillery, to extend the highland hospitality because you have great confidence in the location of Glenfiddich as a unique and special place – not just the spirit you produce, but the people and community that make it as well,” said program curator Andy Fairgrieve in a recent interview.

President of OCAD University Dr. Sara Diamond adds “Through its commitment and support of the arts, the Artist-in-Residence Prize gives artists not only the monetary value of their residency but provides such a fertile platform in the lovely Scottish Highlands.”

Dr. Diamond is long-standing member of the distinguished jury, which also includes Michelle Jacques, Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria; Michelle Schultz, Executive of Latitude 53 in Edmonton; Ivan Jurakic, Director of the University of Waterloo Art Gallery; Stefan Hancherow, Associate Art Curator for RBC; and the Canadian 2008 Glenfiddich® Artists in Residence Prize recipient, artist Dave Dyment.

This jury selects from over 200 submissions each year and creates a list of ten finalists, which will be announced in late February. From this shortlist, the Glenfiddich® Artists in Residence program curator Andy Fairgrieve selects the winner based on their compatibility with the other participating artists and the strength of their proposal.

Visual artists of all disciplines are invited to apply for the residency, which in the preceding 17 years has hosted painters, sculptors, filmmakers, illustrators, animators, photographers, and performance artists.

“We don’t want to be restrictive in any sense in the media people are working in, or the projects they want to do,” says Fairgrieve. 2017 winner Lee Henderson notes "Although I had a well-formed plan beforehand, most of what I produced at Glenfiddich grew from ideas I had while I was there - a testament to the generative richness of the site."

Fairgrieve underscores that, "this ethos is about encouraging people to take inspiration from their experience living at the distillery, whether that be the pioneering and experimental heritage of Glenfiddich®, the surrounding environment, or the daily life of the distillery and local community, and to be as creatively free as possible – a mission our artists live and breathe during their three-month residency.”

“I am in admiration of the program’s commitment to bringing together artists of many generations and from all over the world,” said 2018 winner Vanessa Maltese. “The numerous support structures offered by the programme (space, time, funding, interpersonal support) are invaluable and directly contributed to an overall generative experience.”

William Grant & Sons Ltd
William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1887 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family. Named 'IWSC Distiller of the Year' in 2012 for the fifth consecutive year, William Grant & Sons distils some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world's favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie® single malts and one of the world's best loved blended Scotches, Grant's®, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick's® Gin, and Sailor Jerry® Spiced Rum and Tullamore Dew®.